The board’s unanimous vote marked the end of a three-step process that began last summer.

In November, the board granted preliminary approval after deferring that approval during an October meeting. The board granted conceptual approval in August.

The approval process, which was voluntarily undertaken by the S.C. State Ports Authority, has also delayed the new terminal’s opening until mid-2013.

“Our purpose for entering the BAR process was to gain some additional input, and we’ve received that along the way,” said Allison Skipper, a spokeswoman for the ports authority, in February. “I think it’s been valuable.”